Carbon dioxide poisoning is a situation that is usually quite impossible unless induced. The brain is what controls the level of breathing that we undertake and even when we are asleep in an odd position that is not conducive to proper oxygen retrieval, we unconsciously move or we suddenly wake up. Carbon dioxide poisoning can however occur if induced through being exposed to an environment that is high in carbon dioxide levels like an industrial unit or going deep-sea diving. The medical term that is used to describe carbon dioxide poisoning is called hypercapnea.
Hypercapnea is quite common in divers and this can be because of a number of reasons. The first is the equipment that some divers use. Snorkels are an enclosed space as far as breathing is concerned, and a diver will end up breathing his or her own exhaled gases at some point of time because of this. Even when there is a regular supply of oxygen from the surface, the pressures of being under a huge body of water will play a role by pressurizing the gasses to be exhaled - basically, air becomes heavier to breathe in.
Divers also use a technique called skip breathing in which they consciously skip a breath to avoid using up too much oxygen. There is a medical condition in which hypercapnea can occur as well and this is a condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome. Here, the massive inflammation in the lungs which is a result of injury or infection can cause the lung tissue to either fill up with fluid or the alveoli to collapse because of the inflammation. This is a major concern area when treating lung diseases like pneumonia, tuberculosis, SARS, and even swine flu. These diseases can cause cytokine storms that are inflammatory responses to run riot causing destruction of lung tissue.
Treating hypercapnea requires oxygen. Divers can simply just rise back up to the surface after ensuring that they depressurize to avoid the bends and get their dose of oxygen. Most industrial workers and geologists have to actually sit with an oxygen cylinder if there is a possibility of them having hypercapnea. People suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome will need to be on a mechanical ventilator. This is an instrument that is regularly used to take the pressure of breathing off a patient, while other treatments are underway to either quell the inflammation or the use of drugs to eliminate the infection.
Author Resource:-
Kevin Pederson is the chief contributor of content for Medical Health Tests, an authoritative source for information on medical tests. The articles are not only informative and insightful, but they are also simple and intelligible. This makes them a reliable resource for anyone seeking information on medical tests.
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